Chapter 36: Baptism by Fire
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The best way to test new weapons?
A real fight.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have to go looking for one.
It found me first.
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The Surprise Attack
The academy’s training field was empty except for me, Iris, and Emilia.
I was testing Nyx’s new Eclipse Fang mode, its whip-blade extending and retracting as I practiced precision strikes.
Umbra stalked the perimeter, his new form blending seamlessly into the shadows.
Noctis flickered in and out of reality, laughing. "Oh, I can’t wait to use these tricks in a real fight."
Oakheart hummed in my grip. "Violence is, like… inevitable, man. But let’s make it beautiful."
I sighed. "Still not used to a talking axe."
Then—
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[WARNING: UNIDENTIFIED HOSTILES DETECTED.]
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The sky split open.
And they arrived.
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The Enemy Revealed
Figures in blackened armor emerged from the sky, their presence suffocating.
They wore no insignia, but their movements were precise, disciplined.
Not just random invaders.
This was an organization.
A new enemy.
One I had never seen before.
Their leader—a tall, silver-haired warrior cloaked in void energy—stepped forward, his mask hiding his expression.
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"Target acquired. Engage."
And just like that—
The battle began.
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Weapons vs. Warriors
The first assassin lunged at me, dual daggers flashing—too fast for normal eyes to track.
But I wasn’t normal.
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[BEAST GOD MODE: PARTIAL ACTIVATION.]
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My clawed gauntlets formed in an instant, intercepting the strike.
The moment his blades clashed against my armor—
Nyx extended, her whip-blade wrapping around his arm.
I yanked—his balance shattered.
Then Umbra pounced, his armored jaws snapping shut around the assassin’s throat.
One down.
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Another enemy charged Emilia.
She raised her newly evolved Divine Warden’s Scepter, golden runes forming a barrier just before impact.
The moment their blade struck, the barrier reflected the force back.
The attacker staggered—
And that was all the opening Iris needed.
She moved in a blur, her Frozen Fang Sabers cleaving through their defenses.
Their armor cracked—
Then shattered under the force of her strike.
Two down.
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Tatsuya vs. the Leader
The silver-haired warrior watched silently, unimpressed.
Then he moved.
I barely had time to react before he was in front of me.
A single punch landed against my chest—and I went flying.
CRASH.
I slammed into a boulder, my vision spinning.
He was fast. Too fast.
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[WARNING: OPPONENT STRENGTH LEVEL—UNKNOWN.]
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I stood, rolling my shoulders. "Alright, buddy. Let’s see if you can handle this."
I hoisted Oakheart onto my shoulder.
He hummed. "Time for a little constructive destruction, man."
I smirked.
Then charged.
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The Clash of Forces
He met me halfway.
His sword flashed—
Oakheart swung.
Our weapons collided, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
The sheer force tore up the ground beneath us.
He tried to overpower me.
But I was no longer the same hunter.
I let my Living Blacksmith powers surge, my armor adapting mid-fight, reinforcing itself against his attacks.
He frowned.
Then he whispered:
"Interesting."
And in the next instant—
He vanished.
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The Aftermath
The remaining enemies fled, following their leader into the shadows.
Noctis hissed. "That guy… he was wrong. Something about him isn’t human."
Emilia knelt beside me. "Are you okay?"
Iris wiped sweat from her brow. "That wasn’t a random attack. They came for you."
I clenched my fists.
Who the hell were they?
And more importantly—
Why did they know me?
One thing was certain.
This wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.